Sometimes it is easy to think that the tragic slip away from a countries Christian foundation will have little impact on the culture of that nation. However, that could not be further from the truth. England has moved away from its Christian principles and the results have led to a catastrophic disaster. The number of aborted pregnancies in the United Kingdom soared to a record high last year, according to government data. Between January and June 2022, the number of pregnancies that were aborted in England and Wales soared to 123,219, up more than 14% compared with the first half of 2021, according to data released by the U.K.’s Department of Health & Social Care. The 2022 number topped the previous high of 110,299 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Christian Concern, a British Evangelical advocacy group, said the record number equates to roughly 680 pregnancies aborted in England and Wales every day, or the equivalent of “28 lives ended every single hour.” “It is with heavy hearts that we witness the devastating toll upon innocent lives. Each number represents a precious child, fearfully and wonderfully made, but whose lives have been cut short,” said Andrea Williams, CEO of Christian Concern. “May God, in His mercy, use these sorrowful statistics to ignite a renewed determination within society to protect the lives of unborn babies, to offer compassionate support to those who need it and support families through good policies.”
While data for the second half of 2022 have yet to be released, the sharp jump in the latest numbers indicated they could top 2021’s numbers. The jump in the number of aborted pregnancies last year, said Williams, comes as more DIY at-home abortion products are becoming available, along with other factors, including a “cost-of-living crisis and a lack of pro-family policies.”
Just two years after government officials voted in favor of allowing women to undertake abortions in their own homes without medical supervision, DIY at-home abortions accounted for 54% of all aborted pregnancies in the first six months of 2022, up slightly from 52% in 2021. In August 2022, lawmakers amended the 1967 Abortion Act to allow eligible women in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy to continue to take both medicines for early medical abortion at home. Thus, the United Kingdom not only allowed for all sorts of abortions, but also simplified the process to allow it to occur at a much greater frequency.
“The sheer scale of these statistics underscores the urgent need for a collective awakening, a return to valuing and protecting every human life, no matter how small or vulnerable,” Williams said. “Our culture's embrace of abortion as a solution to complex problems is a chilling reflection of our diminished respect for the sanctity of life. Let us strive for a future where we, as a nation, choose compassion and hope in the recognition that every life, from conception to natural end, is a precious gift from God.”
Biblical Connection: The sanctity of life is one of the hallmarks of the Christian faith. Psalm 139:13 states “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.” Jeremiah 1:5 states “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” We have seen the Western world at large move away from the Christian faith and the results have led to a complete disregard for human life.
PRAY: Pray that the United Kingdom, once the leading mission-sending country in the world, would turn away from such blatant disregard from Biblical principles and would choose life.